Fathers are key to child's development, experts say - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Blast from the past, about parenting.

Fathers are key to child's development, experts say - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Fathers are key to child's development, experts say

I think I left a comment to a fellow blog and dad today. But it didn't seem to make it onto his blog's comments. It is in my comments feed, reposted here:

The Burgh Report: 3604643758256850988

Rauterkus (Mark Rauterkus): Screw the election. Parent.

My word of advice that can fit in a blog comment is:

A baby's wants and needs are one in the same.

Send me an email with your mailing address -- and I'll send you a two CD audio program about Dads and Parenting from a friend, Hogan Hilling. He presented to the Lamaze group's national convention a while back here in Pgh.

Another pointer / extra, called Braving the storm, (PDF).

More details on School Board Members

Did you notice that in the city council district 9 race, Randall Taylor got zero votes.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Local News - Early Returns City Council District 9
Rachel Cooper 41
Leah Kirkland 24
Councilwoman Twanda Carlisle 21
Rev. Ricky Burgess 11
Gerald Brown 1
Randall Taylor 0

I've said that School Board Members should NOT be eligible for the ballot in other races while on the board and for five years following their board tenure. I guess someone heard that wish.

Patrick Dowd didn't do so well either.

Nor did Theresa Colaizzi.

All in all, I think that the school board behavior isn't much better than it was in the past. It is still rocky, to say the least.

The vote total for Stephanie Tecza was 74 and Heather Arnet got 27. That's a landslide. But even more was the 66 to 17 score that crushed a sitting school board member, Dan Romaniello. Way to go Sherry Hazuda, whoever you may be.

Let's go to the movies and see Pride!

Print this coupon. Bring it to the cinema. Get in to see the movie on this one day, Sunday, for only $5.

More news to come.

Peduto on the Pens move

Heard Bill Peduto on KDKA Radio about the possible move of the Pens. He talked to Honz, just after the news broke.

Bill said that he stood by IOC all the way. So, he is a trusted figure to the Pens. He would be glad to enter the negotiations.

Then Bill talked that his Plan C is still a valid offer.

Bill mentioned Tom Murphy. Like Murphy or not, Tom Murphy was the guy to get the job done. Murphy built the two stadiums and convention center. Murphy didn't let the ohters in office do the heavy lifting. He means to present Luke as one who is in the back seat to Dan Onorato and Ed Rendell.

The worst thing that Bill said had to do with the Civic Arena being empty. He said that there won't be any developmet up on the Hill now if the Pens depart. Asked if he, Peduto, would pull out all stops to save the team, Bill said you have to. (Yes.)

The Pens play 40 dates at the Civic Arena.

I think that the whole thing is a mess. But, I don't think that there will be no development on the hill if the Pens leave. Don Barden's plan calls for a lot of development on the hill. So, Peduto is just out of touch on this one. Did he forget? Is he talking in the moment and out of despiration?

I think that the hill district can flourish after the Pens leave. The Pens should get off of the hill -- but land in another part of Allegheny County -- such as the airport.

Bye, bye birdie -- Pens seeming to flee.

Humm....

From Pens Village

No deal yet.

I've got ideas that ... oh well, ...

Penguins declare impasse in arena talks Penguins declare impasse in arena talks
Will pursue other offers aggressively, letter says

Draft Resolution Regarding Dr. Ron Paul and his Exploratory Committee for President in 2008

From fellow Libertarian Running Mate, Mark C.

WHEREAS the growth of government continues unabated with big-government bureaucrats and politicians of both major parties in complete control;

WHEREAS accelerating rates of uncontrolled, constitutionally-unauthorized, government spending and the inflationary monetary policies of the Federal Reserve have put our country at grave economic risk;

WHEREAS growing restrictions on personal and economic freedom, along with intrusive federal mandates into state and local affairs, continue without pause;

WHEREAS global deployment of the U.S. military has entangled our country with foreign governments and with foreign leaders that Americans wouldn't want living in their own
neighborhoods; therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania enthusiastically supports efforts by Dr. Ron Paul to thrust libertarian viewpoints into national debate during the 2008
election season by way of his possible presidential candidacy; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED that the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania encourages everyone to demand a national debate of these viewpoints and not to accept restriction by establishment politicians and silence by a complicit media.

You do the math. Count me out when it comes to robbing from our kids.

Do the math.

From family - travels

The official national debt figure, now approaching $9 trillion, reflects only what the federal government owes in current debts on money already borrowed. It does not reflect what the federal government has promised to pay millions of Americans in entitlement benefits down the road. Those future obligations put our real debt figure at roughly fifty trillion dollars - a staggering sum that is about as large as the total household net worth of the entire United States. Your share of this fifty trillion amounts to about $175,000.

The Coming Entitlement Meltdown also gives props to David Walker, scroll down.

Opportunity China 2007: Breakfast Seminar - PittsburghLIVE.com

This would be fun to crash.

Opportunity China 2007: Breakfast Seminar - PittsburghLIVE.com

What does Dan Onorato know about CHINA?

From clean-sweep

If you want to attend, on my behalf, let me know.

From texture - misc.

Quiz: What does this photo show?

City Council President wants Temporary Slots Parlor. Okay -- do it in the Convention Center

Doug Shields, D, president of Pgh City Council and candidate for Allegheny County Controller's post (against Michael Lamb, D, and Tony Pakora, D, and Joe Weinroth, R) said that the budget for the City of Pittsburgh is going to have a $10-million hole.

This $10-million amount is what Doug Shields and his fellow big-spenders on City Council counted upon as income from the slots parlor.

In the radio interview, Doug Shields called it a "casino" but it is really just a slots parlor.

From Convention Ce...

The winning slots parlor outfit was granted a license by a state gambling board. However, two challenges to the granting of the license have been made. So, the green light for the building of the slots parlor for the river's edge on the North Side, next to the Carnegie Science Center, has been delayed.

The city's budget expected money in 2007 from this gambling operation. City council sets the budget and has done so in the past with phantom incomes. Gambling incomes were a part of Mayor Tom Murphy's budget in 2006. Money won't come to 2008, at the soonest.

The Majestic Star Slots Parlor on the North Side considered but nixed the idea of building a temporary slots parlor, like in a circus tent. Temporary casinos are still operational in other parts of the country. The risk is that a real building with decent design standards won't ever be completed should a temporary site become operational. The goal isn't to put a new gem onto the river's edge that looks like the I.C. Light Amphitheater.

Now that the Convention Center is empty, it makes great sense to build the temporary slots parlor as well as the permanent slots parlor within the David M. Lawrence Convention Center.

From Convention Ce...

A series of poor thinking is revealing itself in many instances in Pittsburgh.

If I was in office, like Dan Onorato, Luke Ravenstahl, or even on City Council like Doug Shields or Bill Peduto, I'd be making a hard pitch to Don Barden to insist that he move the slots license, short term and long term, into the Convention Center. Sell the Convention Center to Don Barden.

Two big words hit the airwaves at KDKA Radio: "Eliminate Authorities"

Marty Griffin was talking with Allegheny County Councilman, Vince Gasteb, R, and the words and concepts of the elimination of authorities was spoken.

I've been barking about these steps for years. Elimination, liquidation and votes of retention for authority board members have been central themes to my platform and campaign statements.

Authorities are not accountable as they should be. They've got to go away. They've gone nuts and over stepped in a zillion ways.

Furthermore, those that made and sustained this mess with authorities are the ones who are least able to clean it up.

Spring Swimming: Lessons, Team, Lifeguarding and More

Join the fun --- become a Wildcat!

Wildcat Swimming at Carlynton Swim Club

Swim Club at Carlynton H.S. Pool

Registration for the competitive swim team for summer begins March 26, 2007, at 4:30 PM. Swimming is a healthy, fun-for-life, family sport and one that ALL team members are guaranteed to participate in at every meet. The only benchwarmers on our team are waiting to swim their next event! ALL age groups and swimming abilities are welcome. We have swimmers aged 5 to 18 ranging from beginners to state champions.

* We are a competitive swim club belonging to the Western Central Pennsylvania Swim League (WCPSL) and Allegheny Mountain Swimming (AMS - United States Swimming league).

* Spring/Summer Season runs March 26 thru July 27, 2007

* Special Summer price $30/family
* You can start practice anytime
* Practice is held at Carlynton High School pool

Competitive swimming questions - Coach Mike Schneiderlochner, 412-215-2766.

Registration questions/information - Carol Matt.

Swimming Lessons

Instruction: Red Cross Levels 1 – 2 – 3 & 4; 10 - 40 min. or 9 – 45 min. classes

Cost: $30 for 1st swimmer; $25 for each additional swimmer in the family

Registration is Thursday, March 22, 2007; 5 – 6:30 pm at Carlynton HS Pool

Session 3: Class Dates: March 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, April 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Times: 6:00 – 6:45 PM

Session 4: Class Dates: April 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, and 19
Times: 6:00 – 6:45 PM

Session 5: Class Dates: April 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, May 1, 2, 3, and 4
Times: 6:00 – 6:40 PM

Session 6: Class Dates: May 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18
Times: 6:00 – 6:40 PM

Email registrations will be accepted AFTER the registration date and based on class availability. Send to amy@carlyntonswim.com.

Lifeguarding Classes

Register by calling Mike Schneiderlochner before May 11, 2007 at 412-215-2766 (cell) or via email at michael.schneiderlochner@comcast.net. Please request confirmation on email transmission.

Dates: May 14, 16, 18, 21, 22, 23, 2007
Times: 7-10 PM
Cost: Full class $185; recertification $95; CPR recertification $45
CPR May 19 – Recerts 9-11:30 AM & Full Class Noon-4 PM

Lifeguard recerts must attend on May 14th to determine dates for attendance. CPR training and recert will be May 19.

Recreational Swimming
Rec/Family Swims occurs now through the end of March.
Time: Tuesdays & Thursdays 7 – 8:00 pm
Cost: Adults $2; Children $1

Must see TV. The US top accountant on an education tour. Fiscal Wake Up Tour

The sky is falling. David Walker is providing an enormous public service.

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=2534935n

Watch this segment from 60 Minutes. Don't do anything else until you see this.

From people & vips

Fiscal cancer.

Catastrophic consequences.

This proves why we need to end the twin tunnel project under the Allegheny River for light rail extension.

Tsunami of spending that will swamp our ship of state.

Can't do anything else but pay money on the debt.

Eliminate all waste and fraud, entire Pentagon Budget -- and still have nothing left.

The real problem is health care costs.

Video even shows snip of some open water swimmers!

The proscription drug bill was the most damaging bill since the 1960s.

Most people in Washington knows. It is always easier not to do something. You get in trouble in politics when you make choices. We need to be tough on spending. And, they have no faith that there is a consensus on doing the right things.

The last 40 seconds of the segment are the best.

If you tell them the truth, give them the facts, if you explain this in not just numbers but do it in terms of values, they will empower their politicians.

Ds and Rs are on a course that doesn't add up.

The nation's top accountant. Put a cap on federal spending. The longer we wait, the more we risk.

MacYapper: FIGHT TO THE FINISH EDITION

MacYapper's now is not present. He posted on his blog:

MacYapper: FIGHT TO THE FINISH EDITION Now it's up to the actual city voters.

Not so fast. The city voters get their day with the arrival of November 6, 2007. Today is March 5.

Even when May 15 arrives, the city's voters are going to be on the sidelines. May 15 is ONLY for the registered, big-party voters. And then, the Luke and Bill choice is only for some of them.

The "done deal mentality" has killed this city and region. Falling into this trap does nobody any good.

When will the D-party endorsement conclude?

The endorsement process for the Dems might not be over for a while. The vote happened yesterday, but some of the players are now headed to court.


A silly sports slogan says, "It isn't over until the fat lady sings." When will we hear, 'Elvis has just left the building.' -- Or, 'We had em alllllll the way.'

On one hand, the more uncertainty and doubt within the local D party, the better. But on the other hand, I really want to restore confidence in our elected, democratic process. More legal challenges with more exposure of lies drives a bigger wedge between the people and the institutions that SHOULD be a source of faith and trust. Otherwise, people settle differences in other ways.

Pittsburgh is famous for the number of people that just vote with their feet.

This is another good instance to listen to the song -- Be Careful Punching Ballots If You Can't See the Hole -- by Amy Carol Webb. It has been on my CD.

Ravenstahl easily tops Peduto for party nod - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Pokora plans to challenge the results in court this week.

He said the committee's bylaws don't address the use of provisional ballots used by those who could not show proof they were eligible to participate yesterday. Pokora has said he would not run without the committee's endorsement, but he was unsure yesterday if he would stick to that pledge given the close vote.

City Councilman Doug Shields, who received the endorsement in his council race, placed a distant third in the controller's race.

In a separate challenge, Andrea Boykowycz, a Peduto supporter, has contested the voting eligibility of 20 committee members.

Committee Chairman Jim Burn said she challenged the members' voter registration and residency. Committee members must be registered Democrats living in Allegheny County.

Burn said the committee members will be given 30 days to prove their eligibility. The results could affect some of the close races."

Lamb's one vote margin -- Joe Weinroth to Controller's Race

Joe Weinroth, former GOP candidate for Mayor, 2005, may enter the City Controller's Race. We'll know Tuesday.

From texture - misc.

That could be a great move by Weinroth, in my humble opinion.

Next, Mike Lamb needs a web site or blog. There has been some smoke in the controller's race. It may continue. But it would be nice to see one of them enter the digital realm. Who is going to bring the race to the people?

I asked on another blog about Mike Dawida. He didn't go for the D endorsement. But is he still in the race?

Judge blasts ban at county Democratic Committee meeting - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Un-democratic democrats are the worst.

Judge blasts ban at county Democratic Committee meeting - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 'This is America. I issue rulings on the same Constitution that guarantees us all freedom of speech and access to information.'

I worry about the First Amendement a bit too. However, I also realize that it was cold outside the IBEW HALL today and the wind was blowing hard. I'm on the outside. I stayed on the outside.

I talked to about 100 people today, give or take. I didn't give anything but my business card. I didn't take anything either, but observations, of course. This is America and freedom still happens here -- on sidewalks, generally. One woman did share a grumble to me about my being present. That's okay. It is her right to air her thoughts as well.

What was the verdict for Judge C.D.Jones II today. Did you see him? Did he search out MacYapper? IMHO, he would have had better luck getting votes if he would have attended the Pens Flyers game.

Thirsty?????

Democrats Back Ravenstahl For Mayor - Politics ... another step hopefully in the right direction ...

This drinking game never goes away.

Anyone know who "invented" it? Who should be nominated for inventing it? Or, who endorses the drinking game to this day?

From china - foods

Pennsylvania Politburo: Skyrocketing Costs and Secrecy

The Three Rivers Post & Standard -- The Pennsylvania Politburo: Skyrocketing Costs and Secrecy (ok… so officially it is called the General Assembly) is being further exposed being the bloated mess that it really is.

Ravenstahl wins county Dem mayoral nod over Peduto

Hot News:

P-G In two races for the Pittsburgh Public School board, Stephanie Tecza won the endorsement over Heather Arnet and incumbent Dan Romaniello lost decisively to challenger Sherry Hazuda.

To the Peduto fans, as I said to his campaign manager on the sidewalk, and posted elsewhere: 2009 and win by addition.

I'm not saying, like I keep telling my son, that I want one or the other, Bill or Luke. Neither are what I think Pittsburgh needs. But, I think the jury is still out about 2009 -- and I want it to stay out until 2009. Others don't.

As for the upsets, there were a lot of them. That's wonderful.

Ravenstahl wins county Dem mayoral nod over Peduto In county council's contested endorsement votes, three incumbents lost endorsements to challengers. This included a loss by Councilwoman Brenda Frazier of Stanton Heights to Matt Arena.

...

In the crowded race for Twanda Carlisle's city council seat, the incumbent lost the endorsement to Rachel Cooper, daughter of District Justice Kevin Cooper.

Lamb's one vote margin is interesting. Doug Shields should pull out of the race and just run for his seat. How far back was T.C. in the numbers for the City Council seat? Sheilds could be a deal maker for either Mike or Tony.

---

Update: I've seen some numbers, and Doug Shields did okay in the three-way race for City Controller. I am retracting what I posted above after seeing the numbers. He must make a decision -- but Shields staying in the race might make good sense.

Democrat Endorsement News and Notes

I arrived at the Democratic Endorsement venue on Pittsburgh's South Side early in the afternoon because I was asked to come down and support my friend Bill Peduto.

There's no question he SHOULD be our next mayor.

There were a lot of "incumbent" Luke Ravenstahl signs. Why everyone got out of the habit of referring to him as "interim," I'll never know. As of today, our interim mayor hasn't won anything other than a race of name recognition in his own back yard.

There were too many for a just-turned 27-year-old with virtually no leadership record. That's what you get when you have a disasterous, yet big money governor and a well-connected, seemingly hardworking Allegheny County executive shutting down every usual artery of campaign funding. Qualified leaders be damned, the funding fix is in.

Anyhoo, I ran into a number of friends from the neighborhood. There was one candidate who I will not name who REPEATEDLY called me an entirely different FIRST AND LAST name, despite being in earshot of me re-introducing myself to another colleague.

Embattled city councilwoman Twanda Carlisle's group had a table riddled with presumably her own campaign-funded fancy mugs inside the voting room...why she was allowed inside and everyone else was reduced to handing out pens, writing pads and other trinkets out in the hall, or outside for that matter is anyone's guess. Let's hope her mugs were not someone else's work, and she was presenting them as her own (you may remember her mother's boyfriend was paid a year's worth of city-taxpayer salary to write an essay about her constituency. It turns out the paper featured reams of "borrowed" statistics and observations from a legitimate scholarly study).

I noticed dozens of familiar faces and friends. Let me start by saying Bill Peduto has lost considerable weight and looks 32 instead of 42. Somehow his morning treadmill routines help him lose weight, while my own treadmill and weight lifting routine has only increased my size and weight.

It'll be interesting to see how this vote turns out. When a guy like Governor Tony Soprano is involved, I'm always a little worried.